Using Google Analytics To Track Your Website’s Social Reach

Do you have a grip on the traffic your food truck website receives from social media? Measuring the impact of social media can be overwhelming at times, but is an important factor when looking at the success (or failure) of your social media marketing tactics for your food truck business.

A tried-and-true favorite social media measurement tool for any website is Google Analytics. Google Analytics can track the impact of social media traffic on your site, going beyond clicks, retweets and other personal metrics.

Using Google Analytics To Track Your Website’s Social Reach

Identify Where Your Social Traffic Comes From

Google Analytics can help you understand the users’ social networks and their physical location. To see your social media traffic, you need to first set up an advanced segment in Google Analytics.

When you’re logged into your Google Analytics account, head to Advanced Segments, +New Custom Segment, and then add your social media traffic sources to the segment.

Use one catchall segment to capture all of your social media traffic at once. Once that’s set up, head to Audience – Demographics – Location.

This area will show you what part of the country or your local area your social media traffic is coming from. So how can this information help you improve your food truck marketing?

You can apply this information to your business goals. For example, you can use this information from Google Analytics to help you decide what locations might be best to locate new or visit more often with your food truck

Determine What Social Media Traffic Comes From Mobile Devices

We’ve all heard that mobile is on the rise which is a great thing for the mobile food industry. Google’s 2012 Our Mobile Planet report shows that 80% of smartphone users in the United States use their phones to access social networks, and 55% visit more than once a day.

What about your food truck customers and website audience? Industry stats are great, but don’t you want to see what applies specifically to your food truck’s website?

With that advanced segment selected, simply head to Standard Reporting – Audience – Mobile – Overview. This chart will give you the numbers of people who frequent your site via their mobile device and even what type of device they are using.

Once again you may wonder how this information can help you improve your food truck marketing?

You’ll find it useful to know how much of your social media traffic comes from mobile devices. If there’s a significant number, you’ll want to check how your content shows up on mobile devices.

Maybe your detailed menu is hard to read. Or the Flash video you just posted only shows up as a “?” on mobile devices. Or maybe that catering order form you’re thinking about tweeting has a lot of tiny fields that are too hard to fill out.

The Bottom Line

What about you? What do you think? Do you use Google Analytics to evaluate your social media traffic? What have you learned? Do you have any tips to add? Share your thoughts on this topic in the comments section or social media. Facebook | Twitter